Heart to Heart
by Mina Soliman
Summary: six months after the battle of Endor, Luke Skywalker, the last Jedi Knight, has returned to his home planet of Tatooine. during a visit to the Lars homestead, Luke has a long awaited conversation with another Skywalker... or a Skywalker's ghost to be precise. this conversation would lead him on a journey to discover the truth about his heritage and his mission
1. Chapter 1- Binary Sunrise

this story is my personal version of what happened after RotJ. it is based on my headcanon which consists of episodes 1-6, Solo, Rogue one, most of the canon comic books by marvel , the clone wars, rebels and a few novels from the current canon. this is my first writing project so gimme a lot of reviews with constructive criticism so i can improve my work and please forgive any grammatical errors as english is my second language.

 **Chapter 1: Binary Sunrise**

the blue flow of hyperspace dissappeared to reveal a desert planet surrounded by far away stars. giving his homeplanet a bittersweet smile, Luke had started preparations to land near Anchorhead when his attention was drawn to the small screen in the cockpit of his X-Wing.

[ **I have bad memories linked to this planet** .]

Luke gave a small chuckle " don't worry Artoo, I am sure you won't get captured by Jawas this time. "

[ **at least it's** **better** **than Dagoba** , **My Processors** **still smell from that slimeball**. ]

A few hours later, Luke parked his rented speeder near a familier looking homestead. As he walked into what was once his yard, he gave the two flimsy graves in which he buried his parents a small, sad smile. He had little time to bury them on that fateful day on which his life changed forever.

As if sensing his distress, Artoo gave a sad whistle and lightly bumped into him as if to comfort him. Luke simply placed his hand on the Astromech's dome and continued to gaze at the two gravemarks.

" funny. ever since I was a kid, I wanted to leave Tatooine more than anything. Now, I almost wish I became the moisture farmer Uncle Owen Wanted me to become. "

did he really wish that? the last few years definitly sent him through hell and back. He lost many people and many things not the least of which was his innocence. He tasted tragedy and friendship, faliure and triumph. He was very different now from that dreamy farmboy who thought about joining the imperial academy. He didn't regret anything that had happened, but a part of him wished that he hadn't had to deal with the death of his family, or mass murder, or The Empire, or even his father...

he still didn't know how he felt about his father. A part of him was still angry at him for everything he did: to his sister, to Han and to the galaxy but another part found great relief in the fact that his father had found peace in the force. He knew that he cared for him, loved him even, because he was his father and because he was once the good man he came to admire. He still couldn't understand how the man he saw beneath the mask, the man whose love, shame and regret practically stained the force, became the dreaded monster that was Darth Vader.

releasing a tired sigh, He grabbed a sleeping bag and went down to sleep in his old room.

he surprisingly slept well that night and woke up at sunrise. A voice in the back of his head ,that sounded suspicously like uncle Owen, whispered something about the importance of not burning daylight. he always loved sunrise and staring at it now surprisingly brought a lot of good memories about Tatooine: Aunt Beru reading for him, Uncle Owen teaching him how to fix vaporators, racing across begger's canyon with Biggs...

" beautiful sight, isn't it? "

he turned around to the unfamilier voice to see a young man with long wavy hair, blue eyes and a ghostly aura around his frame.

" yeah, it was always one of the few things i liked about Tatooine. " he replied with a fond look as sat on an old, large crate, once again facing the twin suns.

Anakin smiled and moved to sit next to his Son " yes, Tatooine doesn't have many likeable things. I should know. "

Luke didn't miss the subtle bitterness in his father's voice. " You...grew up here too? " , Anakin only nodded at this.

" Uncle Owen told me as much but most of what he told me about you ...wasn't exactly accurate. "

Anakin raised an eyebrow in response " what exactly did Owen tell you about me? "

" not much. only that my grandmother married his father after you left Tatooine, that you were a navigator on a spice freighter and that you died around the time the clone wars ended."

Anakin almost chuckled as he gave an amused smile " well his father did marry my mother after i left to train as a Jedi, I. only met him once really when I ...returned to see her. I think he chose to alter my career to prevent you from developing some sort of hero worship, although I could tell that didn't work. "

Luke gave a small chuckle and a fond smile " yeah, uncle Owen never did approve of my dreams, he always told me I was too reckless for my own good and that i had my head up in the clouds all the time. we didn't always get along but a part of me appreciated that he wanted what was best for me. Aunt Beru though would always encourage me and tell me I can be whatever I wanted to be. funny thing is, for a long time I had no idea what that was. "

a hint of sadness - and was that jealousy? - escaped to the force.

" I only met them once but I could tell they were good people. They did a great job raising you. probably better than anything i could have done."

an awkward silence took place for a few moments until Anakin decided to break it. " Luke...I wanted to tell you that i am sorry...for everything. What i did to you, to your sister and to the galaxy is unforgivable. You had every reason to hate me yet you chose to help me and for that i am grateful. I don't think words can describe how grateful I am. "

" I did hate you. To me you were everything we hated about the empire, you were the man who betrayed and murdured my father and countless others. this hatred was calling for me on Bespin, it was there when you shattered everything i thought i knew. every time i had looked at you in the force I only saw anger and hate, but during that moment, even in my confusion, I recognized other things: Pain, Longing ,...Love...as weird as that was "

" why did you risk yourself trying to help me ? "

" Because...you were my father. Anakin Skywalker was a good man, of that i was certain and everytime you called to me in the force, I saw that deep down he still existed. i had to try... also I knew by then how corrupting the dark side can be, I had felt it calling more than one time, I even had a chance to see it in action once. "

his mind drifted for a moment to what happened on Jedha, to what happened to poor Chulco.

" the Dark Side does corrupt everything. it feeds on your anger, your fears and your pain. it twists your thoughts to serve your desires. all you can focus on are yourself and your own pain and hate. however, this doesn't absolve me from my crimes as much as I want it to. the dark side may have twisted my thoughts but it didn't remove my sense of right and wrong. "

Luk _e_ gave him a look that held little codemnation but plenty of sadness " then why did you continue to serve him ? "

Anakin's expression turned to one of shame " the core of the dark side is focusing on one's self. which is why most of the time i didn't care about the suffering or even death of the people i hurt. all i focused on was my hatred: for the emperor, for the Jedi , for Obi-Wan...but i realize now that the person i loathed the most was myself. I deemed my former self to have been a weak, naive fool. i focused on my hatred because i was taught to use it as a weapon, but i now realize i needed it more as a shield. I was afraid and i didn't have the courage to give up my hatred. "

" because i knew that without it, without the dark side, i would have had to face the guilt that would come without mercy, i would have had to face the fact that redemption wasn't possible. I embraced my role in the empire because i had nothing else, i had already lost everything: Obi-Wan, my friends, your mother...I had no reason to live..until you came along" Anakin continued and gave his son a smile full of pride which Luke returned with a Sad smile.

" I look forward to getting to know you father, the real you i mean "

Anakin gave him a bittersweet smile " i look forward to this too, Luke. before i go, i want you to know that i loved you and your sister since the day i learned you existed, and i am proud of everything you too became and acheived. you are everthing we imagined for you and more."

Luke had to battle tears as he gave his father a weak smile " yeah...well, I still have a long way to go. the last thing Master Yoda told me was to pass on what i had learned, but i know so little about the jedi i have no idea how to do that. how am I supposed to restore an ancient order that once had more than ten thousand memebers all by myself ? "

Anakin gave him a proud smile " i remember that my first mentor told me that even if one succeeds in becoming a jedi, he will still have a hard life ahead of him. but you are not alone Luke. Me, Obi-Wan ,Yoda.. we will always be with you. the fall of the Jedi was tragic, but i believe it is the will of the force for them to return stronger. whatever the problems that lead to our downfall were I know they won't escape you. always trust in the force Luke, things don't go well when you don't trust it. Believe me, i should know"

Luke's mouth broke into a grin " well the force did practically _sing_ in approval when i went to meet you on Endor "

Anakin grinned then gave a small sigh " well i have to go now. but don't worry, this won't be the last time we meet. "

Luke gave him a dissapointed look " will you...come and visit ?"

" always. may the force be with you son."

" may the force be with you father."

and with that Anakin vanished and as he did so did a burden that was lying on Luke's heart. for the first time since Bespin, Luke felt at peace.

he now knew who he was and who his father was, his father was at peace and he knew what he had to do.

not the last of the old jedi, then. the first of the new.


	2. chapter 2 - a good friend

**Chapter 2: a good friend**

 _" the force is what gives a Jedi his powers. it's an energy field created by all living things. it surrounds us, penetrates us and binds the galaxy together ."_

Those were the first Jedi teachings to fall on Luke's ears. In the short time he spent with old Ben on the falcon, Luke got to feel the force for the first time when Obi-Wan showed him the basics of Jedi meditation. Despite his then energetic nature, meditation always came easily for him, so he made a habit of opening himself to the force to feel his surroundings and allow it's soothing influence to wash over him.

As he sat cross-legged in his small quarters on Home-One, he gave a sigh of relief as he sunk deep into the force. The oppressive darkness that once dominated the force was gone after the death of the two sith lords. Nearby, he could feel Leia's presence, as bright and potent as ever.

In addition to Leia's presence, he could sense the numerous dots of light that he came to recognize as untrained force sensitives. His current mission was to locate and train those people, a mission he had no idea how to accomplish with his own limited jedi education.

" took my lesson to heart, I see "

Returning to the physical world, Luke opened his eyes to see the ghostly form of his first mentor.

" one tends to like meditation when it's the only thing he knows how to do " Luke replied with an amused smile.

Obi-Wan moved to sit cross-legged opposite to him " you are quite unlike your father when it comes to meditation. As gifted as he was, meditation was never his thing. There are few things Anakin hated more than sitting still. "

Luke gave him a small a smile " he didn't seem very excitable when we last spoke "

" yes, I assume he learned a thing or two since his Padawanship years. " Obi-Wan replied wryly with a soft smile.

The old jedi's expression suddenly turned serious as he released a tired sigh. " Luke, I came here to apologize for what happened. Yoda and I never Intended for you to face your father without knowing who he was. We didn't think you were ready for the burden and when you left for Bespin... We feared the worst. "

Luke sighed " I understand. You did what you thought was best for everyone. I didn't inspire much confidence either. You shouldn't have lied but... I understand. "

Obi-Wan gave a small smile tainted with regret " thank you. And more importantly, thank you for saving the man I consider to be brother. Against all odds, You were right when you chose to believe in him. "

Luke's expression turned thoughtful " back on Dagoba when I asked you who my mother was, you asked me to let that truth stay with you a while longer. I need to know Ben. Who was she? "

Obi-Wan gave him a fond, thoughtful look and a soft smile " her name was Padmé Amidala. She served as elected queen and then senator of Naboo. She was a close friend, both to me and to your father. Although I didn't realize how close they were until I sensed she was pregnant. "

Luke's heart skipped a beat. A queen. His mother was a queen. " what was she like? " he asked eagerly.

" she was an incredible woman. She cared deeply about everyone whether it was her people or the people who suffered because of the clone wars. She was the only one of us who continued to believe in a peaceful resolution for the war. She was stubborn as hell and very brave, never afraid to take matters into her own hands. She was willing to fight for what she believed in until her last breath. "

Luke felt lost upon hearing what his mother was like and how amazing she must have been. She sounded so much like his sister too. He suddenly realized how little he knew about her and how little he tried to learn, which made him feel quite guilty. His parents couldn't even tell him who she was. He knew even less about her than his father growing up.

" how did they meet? " he asked curiously.

" well, they first met during her first term as queen of Naboo. My master and I were assigned to escort her to Coruscant when we were forced to land on Tatooine. When my master recognized Anakin's potential, we took him with us to Coruscant to be trained as a jedi where he became my Padawan. "

" they didn't meet again until ten years later when Anakin was assigned to protect her. I knew they had feelings for eachother, but I didn't know to what extent at the time. I later found out that they got married in secret since Jedi weren't allowed emotional attachments as I am sure master Yoda mentioned "

Luke frowned " yeah, he made it seem like my father was pretty rebellious. I didn't realize just _how_ rebellious he was until we reached that point. " so his parents got married in secret. Was this how much they loved eachother?

" your father loved your mother very much " said Obi-Wan as if picking up on his thoughts " eventually it was his love for her that proved to be his downfall. "

Luke gave him a worried, puzzled look " what do you mean? "

Obi-Wan gave him weary look " before the clone wars, your father started having dreams of your grandmother in pain. I thought they were nothing and told him that they would pass in time. Eventually though, he could no longer ignore them so he returned to Tatooine with your mother only to discover she was kidnapped by sand people. By the time he reached her... She died in his arms. "

Luke's heart ached as a deep frown appeared on his face. He could very much relate to the pain his father must have felt at losing his mother in such a horrible way.

" before the war ended, your father started having similar dreams. This time of your mother dying in childbirth. Palpatine sensed this and, knowing how much your father cared about his loved ones, revealed himself to him and told him that if he joined the dark side he would be able to save her. At first, your father refused and turned him over to the jedi but later came back to make sure he is captured alive. Eventually though, when he had to choose between your mother and the Jedi, he helped Palpatine against the Jedi who attempted to execute him and pledged himself to the ways of the sith. When he did, the man I called my brother was no more, or so I thought for a long time. "

Luke's expression turned to one of near horror as he stared at the floor " we were his price " his father was willing to do anything to protect them, even sell his own soul.

" I am sorry Luke. I know how hard this is for you to hear, but I also know you need to hear it. "

Luke nodded and looked at him with a solemn expression " what happened to him? "

Obi-Wan suddenly turned hesitant, as if he didn't want to tell him what he was about to say. " your mother...went to confront him on Mustafar. Knowing she knew where to find him, I snuck on board her ship. When I walked down the ramp, he saw me and assumed she brought me there to kill him. by then Palpatine had twisted his mind almost beyond recognition. So in his rage...He attacked her with the force. "

Luke's expression turned to one of utter horror " are you saying he...? "

" no, no. Even in his twisted state of mind, Anakin would never have done that. She was unconscious when we engaged. I tried to reason with him but he refused to listen. What he did to your mother and the Jedi and the things he said... Made me believe there was nothing left from him. During the duel I found myself unable to kill him. Eventually though he was mutilated and burnt. "

Luke place his temples in his left hand. His heart ached as his mind digested what he heard. Was this how corrupting the dark side can be?

His father had attacked his pregnant wife. The same wife he had sold his soul to save. He wasn't sure he could ever forgive that but he desperately wanted to. As if he needed more conflicting emotions regarding his father.

Those visits were becoming more emotionally draining each time.

" he desperately needed a family, I couldn't be enough of one. I couldn't get him to trust me enough to confide in me. I also gave up on him, so that's twice I failed him. "

" don't say that " Luke said quietly with a sympathetic expression " you did everything you could to save him. He even told as much on Endor. I am glad you didn't tell me this before now. I probably would have given up on him too. "

" your father intended to tell you this himself, but I wanted to spare him the pain and I can only hope this doesn't change how you feel about him. Your real father is a good man Luke, and I am proud to call him my brother. "

Luke nodded and gave him a sad smile " thank you for telling me this. "

" No Luke. Thank you." said the ghostly figure with a proud smile as he dissappeared.

Luke's expression turned thoughtful as he thought about what he learned. This conversation gave him a lot to think about and a lot of feelings to sort out. But now there was something he needed to do so he grabbed a datapad and headed for the nearest computer terminal


	3. Chapter 3: Is that an angel?

**chapter 3: Is that an angel ?**

 **For his entire life, Luke Skywalker had never known his real mother's name. Ironically, now that he did he found himself frozen in front of the datapad in his hands as he sat cross-legged on the floor of his quarters, completely overwhelmed by the moment.**

 **Drawing a deep breath, he typed Padmé Amidala and tapped the search button. He had no idea what to expect but his heart skipped a beat at the face that appeared before him. Familiar chocolate brown eyes and wavy brown hair greeted him. He gazed at his mother's face for a few minutes. He could see bits of his sister in her face, but also bits of himself.**

 **He started reading about his mother's history with a yearning expression on his face :**

 _" Padmé Amidala, born Padmé Naberrie, was one of the most revered politicians in modern galactic history. Elected to become queen of Naboo at the young age of fourteen, Amidala managed to break the blockade of the trade federation on Naboo during the crisis before the clone wars. Amidala was elected for a second term as queen before she was assigned to represent her planet in the galactic Senate. During the clone wars, Amidala continued to advocate for peaceful resolution of the war through diplomacy. Shortly after the first Empire Day, a pregnant Amidala tragically died with the child in her womb, although the identity of the Father remains a mystery. Amidala was buried on her home planet of Naboo and is one of the most beloved figures in her people's history. "_

 **Luke paused for a moment to digest what he read. Then scrolled down to find various pictures of his mother: a picture of her in a somewhat ridiculous attire which he assumed was her regal outfit, another picture of her in the middle of a speech in the Senate, another one with her family on Naboo...**

 **His heart skipped a beat at the last one. A family... He went from an orphan who knew next to nothing about his real parents to gaining a father, a sister, a mother and now maybe a family. He wondered if his mother's family was still alive. He began to wonder how things would have been like had his mother lived, had he got the chance to know her...**

 **His musings were interrupted when he sensed Leia's presence approaching, so he reached out with the force and unlocked the door for her.**

 **" will I ever get used to that? " said the princess with a smile as she walked in.**

 **" you will once I teach you how to do it. " he replied with a grin**

 **" well, that will have to wait, right? " she said as she sat next to him on the floor " Padmé Amidala? Since when are you interested in politics? "**

 **" you've...heard of her? " he asked curiously with an expression she couldn't quite decipher.**

 **" Er, more like was obsessed with her in my early years on the Senate. I studied her career closely and it is really one of the most impressive political careers ever. She was on the loyalists committee with my father and Mon. they were pretty close, you know. My father always spoke fondly of her, I always felt he was pretty affected when she died. "**

 **Luke gazed in front of him as something clicked in his mind. Of course...his sister was adopted by his mother's close friend, hidden from the emperor right under his nose.**

 **Leia's concerned voice snapped him out of his reverie " Luke? What's wrong? "**

 **" nothing, Leia...do you remember Ben? "**

 **" General Kenobi? Of course I do. Why? " she asked with a puzzled look, she couldn't help but feel that there was more to this than what meets the eye. This felt too similar to their farewell on Endor for her liking.**

 **" Back on Dagoba after he told me we were siblings, I asked him who our mother was. He told me that I had enough burdens already and asked me to let that knowledge stay with him a while longer. Well...we spoke a few minutes ago. "**

 **Leia's expression turned to one of shock " are you saying she is...? "**

 **She took the datapad from his hands and stared at her mother's face as if she was seeing it for the first time**

 **" of course... it all makes sense now that look he gave me everytime we talked about her or watched a holovid of one of her speeches... " the look she could never quite decipher no matter how experienced she became at reading faces. It held a mixture of loss, longing and pride.**

 **" you look a lot like her you know " Luke said with a sad smile**

 **Leia nodded as she continued to stare at her mother's face " he always told me I was a lot like her...everytime we watched a speech of hers. She was incredible. One of the few politicians who cared about the people they served more than what they can get out of their position. She moved the entire Senate everytime she spoke. "**

 **Luke gave a bittersweet smile and wrapped his arm around his sister's shoulder as she rested her head on his" somehow we _will_ get know her "**


	4. Chapter 4: The Temple of Eedit

**Chapter 4: The Temple of Eedit**

Aside from the ruined temple on Vargas Vas, The Temple of Eedit was the only Jedi temple Luke knew of and it hadn't changed at all since his last visit to Devaron. Back then, Luke could barely call himself a jedi-in-training with only very basic information on how to sense and read the force. Now, after five years and his training on Dagoba, Luke could clearly feel the ancient Powers radiating from the building.

The Temple had a peaceful, almost serene feeling about it. However, Luke could sense something else in the force, a stain of pain and rage. In his mind's eye, Luke saw two lightsabers and a large, yellow figure charging at the entrance.

Clearly this place had seen better and worst days.

" stay with the ship artoo, this is something I have to do by myself. "

Artoo gave some worried bleeps, obviously unwilling to let his pilot get out of his sight.

Luke gave him a small smile " don't worry, I am sure this time will be different. " although with his usual luck he could only hope he doesn't run into trouble here again.

To say that the day was disappointing would be an understatement. After hours of walking and searching through the Temple's halls and corridors, Luke still couldn't find anything he had missed in his last visit. He knew that a jedi shouldn't get frustrated easily but he was having a hard time with that right now.

Taking a deep breath and closing his eyes, he centered himself in the force and felt it tugging at him, as if pointing him in a certain direction. He walked deeper into the temple until he entered the hall the force was pointing at. It was a large hall with a circular dome and various symbols carved to it's walls. Unfortunately it was as empty as every other hall in the temple. Apparently, the place was looted by scavengers over the years, that is assuming the empire hadn't done that first. Luke began to wonder why the force brought him there when his musings were interrupted..

" hmmmm... "

Luke turned at the familiar sound to see the ghostly form of the diminutive jedi master.

" Master Yoda! " he said as his mouth broke into a grin.

" majestic this place is, isn't it? At one time many there were when more than ten thousand jedi existed. Now, few things remain of the legacy of the Jedi. " said the ancient master with a hint of grief in his voice.

" yeah it's pretty amazing. I learned a few things here last time, with Obi-Wan's help of course. " he replied as he looked around somewhat sheepishly.

" good to see you it is young Skywalker " said Yoda with a small smile " what brings you to this place? "

" looking, I guess " said the former padawan with a small shrug.

" hmm, searching for something you are. What is it that you hoped to find here? "

" I don't know. A few holocrons or even datapads. Anything that can be of help really " he said with a hint of disappointment in his voice.

" hmm, knowledge you seek about the ways of the Jedi. A powerful ally knowledge is, underestimated it should never be. Back on Dagoba, taught you I did our ways. Always questioning you were, never truly accepting. Annoying this was, although a bad quality it was not. "

Luke brows furrowed in confusion " what do you mean? " after all him not listening was almost always the reason behind his faliures during his training.

The green little troll gave a weary sigh " in my exile things I learnt, Most important of which was that always test our beliefs we must. Wisdom the jedi had yet incomplete this wisdom was. Short-sighted and arrogant we were, inflexible and too stuck in our own ways and incomplete knowledge. Part of the reason for our downfall this was. Took me alot of time it did to learn that there were things we were ignorant of. " he said with a hint of regret as he recalled his first encounter with the spirit of a certain jedi. A jedi who was always at odds with the council. The jedi who found the path to immortality...

" wisdom you have " he continued with a hint of pride " gained from your teachers, from your pains and from your trials, yet much to learn you still have. Test everything you learn you must, if the jedi are to survive again."

Luke's expression turned solemn as he contemplated this " but how can you know what's right and what's not? "

" trust in the force you must. Guide you it will if you truly listen. Forget your own will you must, forget your own self, in order to recognize the will of the force. Passed a great test you have. Proud of you we are but beware of vanity you must, for passing the great test means not that no more tests there are for you. "

Luke nodded slightly with a thoughtful expression on his face, then gave a small sigh and a weary look " doing this without you scares me master. I am not sure I can do this by myself. I know I am not alone, I realize that now But...it still feels like too large of a task. "

Yoda released a tired sigh " a heavy burden you now carry. Faith in the force and in yourself you must have, if you are to succeed. Correct you are. Alone you are not. For another Jedi lives, one who has passed great tests himself "

Luke's eyes widened slightly, hope and anticipation racing on his chest " another Jedi? Who is he master? "

" find Ezra Bridger, find the white wolf " was the cryptic response

And with that the ancient master disappeared, leaving behind a very curious young jedi who stood there stunned for a moment then eagerly reached for his comlink " Artoo, prepare the ship. We are going home. "

 **Author's note: for those of you who don't know, The Temple of Eedit on Devaron was the temple Savage O'Press attacked during the clone wars. It was visited by Luke in the canon book ' the Weapon of a jedi ' .**


	5. Chapter 5: There Is Another

**Chapter 5: There Is Another...**

 **Author's note: come on guys, do I have to beg for reviews? make my day and let me know what you think.**

Another Jedi. He had no idea how this was possible but there was actually another living jedi out there. Luke's mind was full of questions, was he another surviver of the jedi purges? Or was he trained by one? If so, how long did his training last?

His heart raced with hope at the thought of being able to fill the gaps in his training, and the fact that there was someone out there who could help him with his mission filled him with relief.

As he descended from his X-Wing in the crowded main hanger of Home one, he caught sight of a familiar scruffy looking head.

" hey, Kid! Glad to see you are back in one piece. I was half expecting I'd have to save your skin again. " Luke's mood instantly lighted at the sight of his best friend. Han missed a lot due to his time in carbonite so he had a bit of a problem accepting the solemn, and evidently deadly, Jedi Luke became since Hoth. He couldn't really lose his ' bigbrother ' attitude towards him. Not that he minded.

" what are you doing here? I thought you were still making those supply runs to the third fleet. " said the young Jedi as he gave the smuggler a hug, obviously pleased with the surprise.

" Oh, the third fleet had to relocate to Iridonia so they hired Sana to continue the runs. She is currently supplying them with fuel from the outpost on Savareen. High Command decided to give me a leave till they can figure out which hell they're sending me to next time. "

" you think Sana will finish the runs on time? We have to finish supplying the fleets if we are going to retake Coruscant. " Luke inquired with a slight frown.

" well, unlike what she would tell you, her _Volt Cobra_ is no _Falcon_ , but it's fast enough. How are you doin' by the way? Heard you went to some Jedi temple on Devaron. Did you find what you were looking for? "

" I did, just...not in the way I imagined. " the Jedi replied cryptically as his expression turned thoughtful.

Han was definitely finding this ' jedi Luke ' a bit perplexing " well, I don't know what this is about but you can explain it at dinner, we are all having dinner on the falcon tonight and you had better come. Chewie is cooking so you have nothing to worry about "

" great, just hope it's something other than Bantha steaks this time." apparently his friends' idea of celebrating him is cooking his favorite food until it's no longer his favourite.

Han gave a small chuckle " I will leave that a surprise. See ya tonight, okay? I gotta go find Leia now or I am as good as dead. "

" great, I'll finish something and see you at dinner " Luke replied

" sure, just try not to bring the droids with ya, alright? "

Luke gave a hearty chuckle " no promises, I will see you around " and with that the young rebel left the hanger, trying to remember where the archives were.

Although the Rebels were a rag-tag group of misfits their archives were nothing short of impressive. They contained profiles for almost every alliance recruit since the infant days of the rebellion, profiles for most high ranking officials and military personnel of the empire, Info on every mission, operation and battle in the history of the Alliance in addition to alot of Data on other fields like galactic geography and history.

Obviously, alot of this data was classified and the archives didn't contain anything that can put the alliance in jeopardy, and that is despite the fact that few people had access to them.

Luke hoped he could find what he came for in the middle of this mess, so he sat infront of the Holocomputer and searched for Ezra Bridger.

The picture that greeted him was that of a young man with tanned skin, short dark hair, dark blue eyes and a few scars on his left cheek. He was hardly more than a teenager but there was something about his eyes that made him seem older.

After an hour or so of scrolling, Luke had finished reading the profile, leaving him with a general impression of Ezra's history. He was born on Lothal to Ephraim and Mira Bridger who were among the first people to speak up against the Empire. After his parents were arrested, Ezra joined the spectres rebel cell on Lothal. Led by General Hera Syndulla, the spectres would integrate themselves into the Phoenix rebel cell and take part in numerous operations against the Empire, clashing with Vader, Tarkin and Grand Admiral Thrawn throughout the infant years of the rebellion. During his time with the Spectres, Ezra was trained by a surviving Jedi apprentice who went by the name of Kanan Jarrus. Luke's heart had raced with hope upon reading this, only to be disappointed when he learned that Jarrus met his end shortly before the liberation of Lothal.

Ezra's last mission was during said liberation as he took part in destroying Thrawn's fleet. He had chosen to stay on the _Chimaera_ to prevent Thrawn from escaping when the star Destroyer was sent by hyperspace to a currently unknown location, leaving Ezra MIA.

Luke took a minute to contemplate what he had learned so far. He knew that Ezra was indeed alive, but his fate was still unclear. Was he a prisoner of Thrawn? Or Had he managed to escape Thrawn's ship somehow? If so, why hadn't he returned or made contact with the Rebellion or at least with General Syndulla? Somehow a puzzle piece was missing.

Which brought him to the next point. What or who was ' white wolf '? Was he another Jedi who survived the purges? An alias of Ezra? A hint to lead him to Ezra's location?

Sometimes he wondered if master Yoda enjoyed making things difficult for him. Typing " white wolf ", however, only resulted in him reading the word "Classified".

Signing Inwardly, he realized he was gonna need some help with this one.

General Airen Cracken, the director of alliance intelligence, was a man who prided himself on his ability to read people. As thus, He gave Han a hard time during that mission with the dragon void run. Luke could only hope his status in the alliance would make things a bit easier.

After checking the readouts for home one, Luke decided to pay the older rebel a visit.

" commander Skywalker " greeted the general with a small smile as the younger rebel entered his office " an unexpected pleasure. please, take a seat. "

" thank you general, the pleasure is mine " Luke replied politely as he sat opposite to the general's desk.

" So, to what do I owe the pleasure of this visit? " said the general as he put down a datapad he was reading.

" well General, I was hoping you could help me with something. Recently, I was advised to find something called ' white wolf ' but whatever that is, the information we have on it is classified. "

The general gave him a curious look and a small frown " may I ask who exactly gave you this piece of advice, commander? "

" you can say he is a trusted friend of mine who isn't associated with the alliance "

Giving him a puzzled look at the cryptic response the general continued " well commander, if you were anyone else, you would be needing clearance from someone at high Command to receive this Intel. However, if you must know, the ' white wolf ' you are referring to is probably the codename for one our operatives in the outer rim. He began sending us Intel shortly before Yavin. Ever since, he has been supplying us with fleet formations, locations of imperial forces, patrol schedules,... Obviously, We were hesitant to accept his aid at first, and even now we tend to make sure before acting on his Intel but it has proven invaluable on more than one occasion. Unfortunately we have no idea who he is, as he always sends messages in text form and has never revealed his identity. "

" So we have no idea who he is, what about his location? "

" not much more I am afraid, we have managed to track the source of his transmissions several times, and each time he was transmitting from a different system in the outer rim. "

The Force around Luke became agitated as he heard this, telling him he is on the right path.

The general's expression suddenly turned grave " commander, we still have no idea how this ' white wolf ' had the frequencies and codes to contact what was our main Base at the time. He is obviously too much of an unknown factor to be above suspicion. If you believe he has been compromised then I must know "

Luke shook his head slightly at this " No, general. I don't believe he has been compromised and I don't think he is a double agent either. I think he is one of our agents who went MIA in the outer rim and decided he can do more good that way. "

" do you have any clues about his identity? " the general inquired with a curious Look.

" I have my suspicions, but nothing solid. Anyway, thank you for your help general "

" think nothing of it, commander. Is there anything else I can help you with? "

Luke remained silent for a moment as his expression turned thoughtful " as a matter of fact general, yes. There is one thing..."


	6. Chapter 6: Wolf Hunt

**Chapter 6: Wolf Hunt**

To say that finding ' white wolf ' wasn't easy would be an understatement to say the least. The list provided by General Cracken revealed that each transmission was sent from a different establishment somewhere in the outer rim territories, which meant that Luke really had his work cut out for him. These establishments included Mos Eisly on Tatooine, Another space port on Malastare and even a cantina on Nar Shadda.

Fortunately, Han and Lando had contacts in most of those joints, often managers who kept records of the _significant_ visitors of each day, be they smugglers, bounty hunters or something else, as this sort of information can prove valuable from time to time.

By providing each of them with the date of the transmission sent from his or her establishment, they managed to obtain a list of visitors of each place on the date of the transmission. Only one name was a common factor among all the lists: a smuggler called Aatrox Braum. Upon hearing the name, the force grew more agitated than ever around Luke, he knew he was getting close.

The next step was leaving word in those places that someone wanted to hire Mr. Braum for a lucrative job. After a month of waiting, Mr. Braum finally agreed to take the job.

Which was why Luke found himself sitting in the " Black Supernova " cantina on Bothawui, waiting for ' Mr. Braum ' to make an appearance.

After two hours of waiting in the crowded cantina, a young man about the same age as Luke entered the joint and sat alone by a table, He was older than the pictures and had grown a full beard but Luke recognized him instatantly and gave a small, triumphant smile.

He had found Ezra Bridger.

Luke instantly got up and moved to sit opposite to the smuggler " Aatrox Braum?" he asked calmly

Ezra gave him an appraising look and Luke could sense his surprise and incomprehension through the force. " depends on who wants to know ".

 _looks like he managed to pick up some smuggler keywords_ Luke mused wryly " someone who needs your help with something important "

" you are pretty relentless, I'll give you that. You seemed to be looking for me specifically, although I can't say I figured out why "

" well, let's just say you are the only one I know of who can help me "

" help you with what exactly? " Ezra replied with a raised eyebrow as he leaned back in his seat and Luke could sense he was growing suspicious.

" Information " Luke replied cryptically and Ezra's expression became one of puzzlement.

" Information? What Kind of information you can only get from a smuggler? "

Luke gave a small, knowing smile " Information on the light of Lothal's moons ", Luke could instantly sense Ezra's shock and comprehension as he recognized the phrase.

Ezra however quickly composed himself like a true Jedi " perhaps you would like to do this on my ship? "

" yeah, that would be better " Luke agreed with a small grin.

Fifteen minutes later, they were taking their seats on the pilot and Co-pilot seats of Ezra's ship, _The Nomad._ It was a small ship of a sleek design and a model Luke couldn't identify. It had a Blue and White paint job and a makeshift bunker and kitchen as it obviously wasn't built with the intention of someone living in it so it had little in terms of accommodations.

" I don't think we were properly introduced, I am Ezra Bridger " he said as he extended his arm for a handshake.

" Luke Skywalker " Luke said with a small smile as he shook his hand " and I know who you are. I did My research before coming here "

" yeah I trust you did. So, you are alliance, huh? May I ask how in the seven hells of Corellia did you find me? " Ezra inquired curiously. He had no idea why that guy decided to seek him out and how he knew his name, but the force was telling him he could be trusted for some reason.

" well, it took some effort...and a piece of advice from an old friend " Luke replied cryptically again. Apparently, Master Yoda was starting to rub off on him.

" And who exactly is that friend? " Ezra inquired with a raised eyebrow.

" Master Yoda. He is a Jedi who survived the Jedi purges and went to exile " Luke replied with a hint of hesitation, deciding to hold on to Yoda's current status for now.

Ezra's eyes widened at the mention of the ancient master " Master Yoda sent you here?! Wait...you said your name was Skywalker, you are not related to Anakin Skywalker, are you? "

Luke gave a small frown " I am actually, he is my father. You've... heard of them? "

" well, I spoke to Master Yoda a couple of times, he used the Jedi temple on Lothal to speak to me and my master when we needed his help. " Ezra replied and Luke could sense a hint of grief through the force " Kanan sometimes told me stories about General Skywalker, said he was possiblely the greatest warrior the Jedi had in the clone wars. I learned a lot of saber techniques from his recordings in my Master's holocron, but just _how_ exactly can you be his son? "

" it's a long story. Let's just say my father wasn't the most by-the-book Jedi in the order, did you say there was a Jedi temple on Lothal? " Luke asked.

" _was_ being the keyword unfortunately, Vader and his Lackeys made sure of that " Ezra couldn't hide the slight bitterness in his voice while Luke had to force himself not to wince at the mention of his father's _other_ name.

 _Great, another dead end_ Luke mused " you grew up on Lothal, right? I know you dissappeared during it's liberation. How did you survive the Purrgil attack anyway? "

" well after the Purrgils attacked Thrawn's fleet, they broke the transparisteel viewports on _The Chimera_ and grabbed him which I assume knocked him out and allowed me to escape the bridge. I hid amidst the chaos in a storage compartment. After we exited hyperspace, everyone who survived was trying to escape on escape pods and shuttles. I just opened myself to the force and allowed it to guide me into a secured hanger which I managed to break into. It had several ships similar to _The Nomad_ here. I simply took one, got out and took off to parts unknown."

" It turned out though that The Nomad was no ordinary ship " Ezra continued " it was one of Thrawn's pet projects like the TIE Defender. It has a new type of advanced cloacking device that makes it undetectable by any type of scanners and completely invisible "

" So _that_ is how you were able to monitor Imperial forces to get the Intel. Why didn't you return to the alliance though? I mean, You could have at least told them who you are to decrease suspicion "

Luke could suddenly sense that Ezra was reluctant to answer that question " well, let's just say I have friends in the alliance who would stop at nothing until they drag me back kicking and screaming if they find out about this. I can't have that. What I am doing here is too important "

Luke gave a smile and forced himself not to shudder at the thought of what Leia would do to him were he in Ezra's shoes " yeah, I don't know General Syndulla all that well, but I think she would do just that, you were pretty close to the spectres, right? "

Ezra gave a fond, bittersweet smile " they are my Family. Part of the reason why I chose to do this is because I wanted them to have better chance at what they are doing "

" how did you learn about the cloacking device though? " Luke asked, suddenly wondering why Ezra didn't give such crucial tech to the alliance so they can have more ' white wolfs '

" Well, after I escaped _The Chimera_ I found myself at the edges of the unknown regions near Rakata Prime. I took the ship to an old friend, a Mon Calamari engineer named Quarrie, and had him give it a look. He experimented on the cloacking device and told me what it can do. Unfortunately, he told me it had tech that wasn't like anything he'd seen before, that wasn't from this galaxy apparently. He couldn't even begin to replicate it "

Luke gave a small frown " you mean it came from somewhere in the unknown regions? "

" That's the only guess that makes sense, cuz here's the thing...When I returned to the Chimera's location a month later to see if I can salvage anything, it wasn't there. At first, I thought Thrawn called reinforcements and had it fixed somehow but I found no trace of _The Chimera_ or thrawn anywhere. I did learn that a star destroyer and an imperial cruiser that were part of Thrawn's fleet were seen entering the unknown regions near Rakata Prime shortly after Endor "

" That means Thrawn might be gathering a fleet somewhere in the unknown regions " Luke replied worriedly.

Ezra released a small sigh " Unfortunately, that's a strong possibility. There were rumors thrawn was from the unknown regions. Noone could really tell what species he belonged to and noone had actually seen anyone else that looks like him. It's possible that Thrawn's people live in the unknown regions and that he is planning something with them right now. "

The Force suddenly seemed to whisper to him that something was coming, that a distant danger was slowly approaching. It wasn't like that spike that came before a blaster was fired, it was far more subtle " does high Command know about this? "

" well, I sent them the Intel, but I think they have too much on their hands right now to do anything about it. They have to focus on the enemy they can see, there is still the entire imperial fleet you know "

" I guess for now we can only hope we will be ready should he decide to show his face again " Luke replied grimly

Something suddenly clicked within Ezra's mind " So, if Master Yoda is the one who sent you here, do I take it you are a Jedi like your old man? "

Luke smiled at the irony of this statement " yes, I suppose I pass for one, although people back home on Tatooine would probably never believe it "

" Tatooine? You were trained by Master Kenobi? "

Luke frowned " yes, my father was his padawan too. How did you know he was on Tatooine? "

" Well, that's sort of a long story too " Ezra replied " one I am sure you'd like. Let's just say that I went to him to ask for his help and he gave me some much needed advice instead. I never really understood why he chose to stay behind instead of returning to the alliance with me. guess you solved _that_ mystery "

A bittersweet smile crossed Luke's face at the mention of the man who saved his life so many times " yeah, well he never really got the chance to teach me much before Vader...before he was killed " he said with a hint of grief that was too familiar to Ezra " It was Master Yoda who completed my training a few years later "

" how did you find Master Yoda anyway? He never did tell us where he was "

Luke gave a small smile " now _that_ is a long story "

Ezra returned the smile and Luke could sense the joy they both shared, joy at not being the last of the Jedi anymore " guess we both have a lot of long stories to tell "

Luke's mouth broke into a grin " It seems we do "

 **Author's note: had a bit of writers block with that one, but I managed to get it ready within the month XD. I gotta say I never understood how uplifting reviews can be until I started this story. Please let me know what you think whether you like it or not, know it will mean a lot. Which parts did you like/dislike?**


	7. Chapter 7: Odd Reunions

**Chapter 7: Odd Reunions**

Ezra was nervous. No, that would be an understatement. He was freaking out. His heart raced with anticipation at the thought of seeing his family after all these years, but he wasn't looking forward to their reaction when he tells them why he hadn't returned to them earlier.

 _' how the hell did he manage to talk me into this_? ' He thought

Then again, Luke was nothing if not persuasive if what he'd told him was true. It was a story that left him almost shaken on the inside. The idea that Darth Vader was a fallen Jedi was unbelievable, and the idea of him not being beyond redemption was even more so.

Then again, why was he so surprised? After all, the grand inquisitor and presumably the rest of the sith wannabes were once jedi if what Kanan had told him was true. Even he had enough close calls with the dark side to know how corrupting it can be. He could still remember how he'd reveled in the power that came from the techniques in that holocron from Malachor, how aggressive he'd become from barely tapping into the dark side, how it had affected his relationship with his master...

Yet Anakin Skywalker hadn't turned for power or revenge as he might have once imagined, he'd turned to save someone he loved deeply. Ezra could certainly understand the temptation, he'd once feared being alone again more than anything and he'd seen for himself how convincing and tempting the late emperor could be, and he was probably more convincing as a kindly old Chancellor. He'd had a very similar test at his hand.

But, Luke...Luke was nothing short of amazing. Ezra couldn't begin to imagine the pressure he must've felt in the throne room. With the emperor goading him, his father failing him and his friends in danger all while he watched the rebel fleet slowly get decimated, it was a miracle he hadn't turned.

Ezra was surprised by how quickly Luke came to trust him with all of this. The two had spent a few days together on Bothawui sparring and exchanging stories of their history. Both were pleasantly surprised to discover how many things they had in common. They had both lost their families to the empire before finding new families with the Rebellion, lost their masters in painful ways, strayed too close to the dark side at some point and had to go through difficult tests particularly at the hands of the emperor. That was probably a factor in the mutual liking and trust that quickly formed between them. Also, Luke probably wanted him to know what he was signing up for if they were going to ' restore the Jedi ' as he hoped. Ezra doubted they were qualified for such mission but he appreciated Luke's optimism.

The fact that they were the last of the Jedi meant that there were things only they could understand. Well, not counting Ahsoka at least. Her existence had been a shock to Luke, who insisted on looking for his father's padawan as soon as possible. Ezra wasn't looking forward to telling her about the Master Kenobi and Master Yoda, though. Their deaths had come across as a shock to him which meant would only have a bigger effect on her considering how close she was to them.

His musings were suddenly interrupted by Luke's voice.

" you ready for this? " he asked from his Co-pilot seat.

" I think so... " he replied uncertainly.

" Good. Because we're coming out of hyperspace in 5...4...3...2.. " and with that he pulled the final throttle and brought them back to real space, revealing the world which Ezra had once fought so hard to liberate... Lothal.

Ezra proceeded to access the navicomputer and carefully plotted a course for the old tower he'd once called home, then proceeded to guide the ship towards it through the atmosphere. Luke'd thought it would be nice if he reunited with the Spectres where it all began. As soon as Luke had managed to convince him to make contact with them, he wasted no time in calling the princess - who was a general now! - to explain the situation and ask for her advice. She'd told them that General Syndulla had taken a leave from her duties for personal reasons. Luke had his own theory on what those ' personal reasons ' were and Ezra found his theory plausible.

The princess had then proceeded to contact Hera and ask her to pick up some crucial Intel from a courier who will rendezvous with the _Ghost_ on Lothal, considering Hera was already a few sectors away and the ' Intel ' was too crucial to be picked up by someone outside of high Command. Hera reluctantly agreed to pick up and deliver the package.

As the old tower came into view, Ezra could see the _Ghost_ a few klicks away from it. His heart skipped a beat when he saw them: Sabine, Hera, Zeb, Chopper... and even Ahsoka was there. ' _Luke was right_ ' he thought ' _they did regroup to look for me_ '. he suddenly realized how much he'd truly missed them.

Luke grew tense beside him and he knew he felt it too. Ahsoka's presence, although somewhat muted, was like a beacon in the force. He could sense Luke's anticipation as they brought the ship down about thirty meters away from the Ghost. Luke gave him an encouraging smile as they got up and headed for the ramp. Ezra took a deep breath to calm himself, hit the button to lower the ramp and stepped outside into the grassy plain...

Lothal was just like Ahsoka remembered from her last visit: beautiful and peaceful without imperial occupation to oppress it's people. She wished Ezra was with them to see the planet he'd fought so hard for finally free. He deserved so more than anyone.

She sighed Inwardly. The search for Ezra has been going on for three months now and so far there weren't any noticeable clues. It's like Thrawn and Ezra had somehow vanished from the known galaxy. She was almost relieved when Hera received the mission from the fleet just so she could take her mind off the possibilities.

Behind her, Garazeb was sitting on the ramp fixing something in his Bo-rifle, no doubt trying to suppress the worry they all felt. Sabine was standing next to her, holding her helmet to her side and looking as resolute as ever. She was the one with the most conviction and hope when it came to finding Ezra, she'd said that even without the force she could feel it in her bones that he was alive. Hera was standing a few meters in front of them, looking at the skies for any sign of the ship they were supposed to rendezvous with. Chopper was running a scan next to her using his sensors, in case any enemy ship tries to approach. Jacen was alone on the ship playing with the model of a light cruiser.

" So when is the courier arriving? " Sabine asked with a hint of impatience. she wanted to finish the mission and continue the search as fast as possible more than anyone.

" chopper just got a message saying they've entered the system. They should be here any minute now " Hera replied, still looking at the sky.

Chopper suddenly started to beep fanatically, indicating that his scanner's had picked an incoming ship.

" what type chop?" Sabine asked, only for chopper to beep worriedly.

" you couldn't identify? " Hera asked, her suspicion becoming clear in the force and everyone seemed to tense for a moment, even Zeb held his Bo-rifle and stood up.

" over there " Ahsoka said calmly as she pointed at the ship appearing in the horizon. As it came closer into view, she could see it was a sleek ship with a blue white colour scheme. Weird enough, it wasn't a model Ahsoka recognized. The ship flew past them and landed smoothly about thirty meters behind the _Ghost_. Ahsoka felt a soft brush against her mind as the ramp lowered.

And then she saw him, his presence in the force unmistakable. Hera and Sabine shouted his name, their shock and joy palable through the force. Sabine ran as fast as she could and wrapped her arms around his shoulders as wrapped his own around her waist. For a moment, they simply embraced and held eachother's gaze before Zeb, who had caught up with Sabine, pulled him in for a wookiee hug.

" gah...it's good to see you too Zeb " Ezra said with a smile as the air was knocked out of his lungs. Hera pulled him for a much gentler hug the moment Zeb had put him down.

" I can't believe it's really you " she said with a grin " how...? "

" That's a long story " he said with a bittersweet smile, then heard chopper's excited chirps and chuckled " yeah, I wouldn't expect anything less from you chop, it's good to see you buddy" he continued and patted the astromech's dome.

" just wait until you meet Jacen. " Hera said with a motherly smile.

" Who is Jacen? " Ezra asked with a frown.

" Hera's son " said Sabine " born to fly, just like his mother "

Ezra's eyes widened with shock and turned to Hera " Kanan? "

Hera only nodded with a sad smile on her lips.

" That's... That's amazing. Congratulations Hera, I can't wait to see him." Ezra said, his enthusiasm and joy clear, then his gaze found Ahsoka who had been standing a few meters away watching the scene with a smile on her face.

" Ahsoka " Ezra said as he walked towards her and pulled her into an embrace.

" it's good to see you Ezra " she said as they broke.

Ezra only nodded with a smile " uh...Ahsoka, there is someone I'd like you to meet. "

Ahsoka was surprised to sense Ezra reaching out to someone with the force, and that's when she noticed the other presence on the ship and wondered how she'd missed it. It felt foreign yet hauntingly familier at the same time.

A young man who was standing at the top of the ramp walked down into the plain, drawing everyone's attention. He was dressed in black and had dark blond hair and blue eyes. She could sense recognition and incomprehension from Hera and Zeb.

" Commander Skywalker " Hera called " what are you doing here? ", and then it was Ahsoka's turn to fall into shock.


	8. Chapter 8: Pains of the Past

**Chapter 8: Pains of the past**

He wasn't very tall and his face was almost a perfect mixture of their own. Suddenly, there was no doubt left he was their child, his presence in the force left no room for such doubts. And his eyes...

Anakin's eyes.

Eyes that were hateful, molten yellow last time she saw them.

She had no idea how this was possible, but he was Anakin. Surprising people and doing what wasn't possible were exactly what he did best.

Ezra was introducing him to Sabine and Chopper. Hera and Zeb seemed to know him already so only simple greetings were exchanged with them. That was what she gathered at least, she couldn't make out the exact words after all, she simply stood there mouth slightly opened.

His eyes suddenly found her own " Master Tano " he greeted somewhat awkwardly as he made a small bow.

" how? " she didn't bother to ask who. There was only one possible answer afterall.

" That's... Kind of a long story " he replied as he exchanged a look with Ezra " one I'm...sure you'd like to hear "

" do you know? " she didn't bother to specify. If he knew he wouldn't need her to.

" I do...I was there when he died " he replied with a mournful expression, and she could sense the puzzlement of everyone but Ezra.

' Nights on Lothal were certainly beautiful ' Luke thought, with it's two moons casting their light on the grassy plains and the quiet that was only interrupted by the occasional sounds of the local insects. Tatooine had three moons but it's nights weren't nearly as enjoyable. For the light there shone on lifeless dunes and the quiet was only interrupted by the shrieks of the sand people and the squeals of the womp rats.

The _Ghost_ was anything but quiet though as the spectres were busy celebrating Ezra's return - and giving him a hard time for deliberately staying away for so long - although a certain Togruta was missing from the festivities.

Luke and Ahsoka had spent several hours together that day, with the Spectres wondering why she was spending time with someone she'd just met instead of Ezra, who explained that Luke was her master's son and that they had a lot to tell eachother.

And so Luke'd told her his story. how he came to join the rebellion, how he was trained by Obi-Wan and then Yoda, how'd faced Vader at cloud city and lost his hand, how Vader had proceeded to shatter his world...

Ezra had told him that Ahsoka and his father were close and that Vader had tried to kill her during a confrontation on a sith world. Luke'd felt that familiar pang of anger and pain that he came to associate with his father's crimes. He'd wondered how Ahsoka would feel about him after what Vader did to her, but he was still determined to tell her everything in case he was able to provide her with some closure.

But Ahsoka had needed to know, so he'd told her: how his father'd asked him to join him, how he'd continued to call for him through the force, and how he'd died to save him, full of remorse over everything. Ahsoka had remained mostly composed throughout the story but Luke could sense the storm raging within her.

He could sense her shock and hope upon learning that Obi-Wan had survived, her pain and grief, which almost broke her controlled expression, upon learning how he'd died by Vader's own blade, her sorrow and joy as he told her how his father gave his life to save him and how three ghosts had found peace together in the force...

Her tears had returned however as he told her about Obi-Wan's latest visit and the reasons for his father's fall. They'd comforted eachother and proceeded to return to the others. Ahsoka'd remained quiet and composed, smiling when addressed as they listened to Ezra's tales about his years as ' white wolf ', but Luke could tell she'd only been half listening as she was struggling with her own emotions.

When night came, She'd excused herself saying she had a headache and Luke could sense that the spectres, particularly Hera, had felt something was wrong but allowed her time for herself anyway. Luke followed her thirty minutes later and found her staring at a campfire as she sat on a log.

" mind if I joined you? " he said awkwardly as he approached her.

She turned and looked at him with something he couldn't quite decipher and replied " no, not at all " she replied with a sad smile.

" I thought you might need some time alone." he said as he sat next to her.

" well, you've given me a lot to think about "

" I'm...sorry if I've caused you distress "

" don't...I needed to hear what you told me. It wasn't easy, but I needed to hear it, possibly more than anything " she said as she continued to gaze at the fire.

Silence stretched for a few moments before Luke decided to break it " what was he like? " he asked and Ahsoka shifted her head to look at him, somewhat taken aback by his question " the real him I mean, before palpatine twisted him. "

Ahsoka turned her gaze back to the fire and remained silent for a moment " he was...amazing. When he set his mind to something, nothing stopped him from achieving it. He was stubborn and had a temper, but there was noone who loved the way he did. he surprised people by how kind he was. he cared deeply about his friends and looked after them until the very end "

" unfortunately, Palpatine knew that as well " Luke said with a hint of bitterness in his voice.

" yes, I suppose so. He had everyone fooled really: the Senate, the Jedi...even the separatists. For a long time, I'd wondered what broke my master and turned him into that thing. Until today, it simply didn't make any sense."

" and now it makes perfect sense " Luke sighed " I'm...sorry about Malachor. "

Ahsoka only nodded at this before saying " you know, when we faught, I'd told him that I wouldn't leave him again. For a moment, I'd sensed his hesitation and thought I'd managed to reach him somehow, that my master was still in there somewhere. But it only lasted for an instant before it was gone, and he seemed more determined to finish me off. "

" I know what you mean " Luke said " after our duel on Bespin, he continued to reach out to me with the force to ask to join him. He was guarding his thoughts but I still sensed overwhelming sorrow in him and deep down there was remorse and hope. It was like he wanted to be saved but didn't realize it, or didn't think it was possible. It's probably the main reason I tried to save him. "

" when we faught again in the throne room, " he continued " I could sense the conflict growing stronger, but he was shutting out these emotions. My guess is that's what he was doing all these years, but it became more and more difficult to do after Bespin. "

" you were willing to die to save both of your souls. It's why you were able to bring him back "

" well, I guess I realized that we weren't as different as I'd once thought. I'm no stranger to mass murder myself afterall. "

" the death star had destroyed Alderaan Luke " she said, taken aback by his statement " you and I both know it wouldn't have been the last world Palpatine destroys to secure his grip. You didn't have a choice. "

" I know " he replied " that's what I keep telling myself, but I know that almost every imperial on board left behind people to mourn him. It's not possible that every stormtrooper and officer on-board was as merciless as Tarkin. A lot of imperials believe they are fighting for order and peace, maybe even my father was one of them. On Bespin, he'd told me that together we could end this conflict and bring peace to the galaxy, I could sense that he wasn't lying. Later, when I was alone, I recognized the passion in his voice, but I also knew that his method for ending conflicts wasn't something that suited me. But I guess that's the ugly truth, good people die on both sides of any war. don't get me wrong: I believe in the rebellion, I just want the fighting and death to stop "

Ahsoka simply stared at him for a moment " when I look at you, I see him, but when I hear you speak, all I can hear is Padmé. You know, really anyone with eyes could tell they were in love, we just never expected they were actually married. I don't know why I was surprised to be honest, it's actually in character for both of them. "

" So you knew my mother well? " he asked somewhat eagerly.

Ahsoka gave a small nod " she was a wonderful woman. She hated the war more than anyone and taught me how things weren't as black and white as I'd thought. We were pretty close friends until I left the order. "

" why did you leave the order anyway? Ezra couldn't really tell me why "

Luke could instantly sense the pain and hesitation that came with that question. He was about to apologize when Ahsoka interrupted with an Answer " That's a long story. A friend of mine had grown disillusioned with the council and the order and in the process fell to the dark side because she embraced her anger and resentment. When she blew up a section of the temple to make a statement, your father and I were called back to investigate. "

" as the investigation proceeded though, I was framed and forced to run away in order to prove my innocence. Eventually, I was caught and the Jedi council turned me over to the Republic, so, I was brought to trial before Palpatine. Anakin was the only person who believed in me and eventually, he managed to uncover the true criminal. I was offered my place back, but by then I'd grown disillusioned with the order myself, so I declined.

Luke felt a sense of dissappintment and anger towards the Jedi upon hearing this " I'm...sorry, I had no idea. I can't believe the council did that to one of their own. "

" well, in their defense, our public enemy was a fallen Jedi and several more Jedi had fallen during the clone wars, all of whom were once considered trustworthy, so, The possibility that I was a fallen Jedi wasn't that far fetched I suppose. The War had taken it's toll on all of us and the order had started to crack as the inquisitors prove. "

Luke sighed " I guess that explains master Yoda's speech about the failings of the Jedi "

Ahsoka regarded him curiously for a moment before asking " do you plan on bringing back the Jedi? "

Luke gave her a small smile " I'd say I plan on trying but you probably know what master Yoda would say "

She gave a bright smile for the first time " do or do not. There is no try "

" for real though, I want you to be a part of it Ahsoka. I understand that it won't be easy for you, that the Jedi failed you in a big way, but I believe they offered a lot of good and still have a lot more to offer. I can't promise the Jedi will ever be perfect, but I can promise to do my best. But we need you Ahsoka...you have more wisdom and experience than both of us and you know the order's failings more than anyone. "

Ahsoka gazed at the fire for a few moments before sighing and flashing him a small smile " I'll think about it. But I can't promise anything "

Luke grinned " for now, that's good enough for me "

 **author's note: tried to make that one a tear jerker! hope you enjoyed. please make my day and leave a review to let me know what you think !**


	9. Chapter 9: Always two they will be

**Chapter 9: Always two they will be.**

Ahsoka was tired...no she was exhausted, and in more than one way if she was being honest. In the past few months, the search for Ezra would usually leave them all exhausted, both physically and emotionally, as one moment they'd gain hope when they pick up a trail only to lose it when said trail leads them to a dead end. However, even that was nothing compared to today.

And today was the reason Ahsoka couldn't sleep despite her exhaustion, not with the storm raging in her mind. Luke'd thought that Vader often struggled with his past, what he hadn't thought was that Ahsoka, too, was familiar with that struggle. After the Jedi purge, Ahsoka was forced to exorcise the ghosts of those she'd left behind: Master Plo, Master Yoda, Obi-Wan...even Barriss, but the hardest one was always Anakin's. During her time on Raada, she was grateful for Anakin's training, and ever since she joined Bail's movement, she wondered about what he'd think of her. For a long time, she thought she was doing what he would've done had he survived. And, it turned out he had survived, just not in a way she had considered.

After Malachor, Ahsoka mourned her master's death for the second time, except this time it was even more painful. After that encounter, Ahsoka had no doubt left that her master was gone, leaving behind a terrible monster in his place.

But he wasn't gone somehow, merely trapped ,and she couldn't help him break free for some reason.

Realizing there was no point in trying to sleep, she decided that a walk might help her clear her head. As she got out of her bunk and made her way to the ramp, she noticed Luke lying inside a sleeping bag on the floor of Ezra and Zeb's room. Force, he looked so young, noone would ever guess the horrors he had to witness.

Making her way down the ramp, her eyes caught the twin moons of Lothal among the stars. One of them was nearly a full moon while the other was a bit like a half moon going crescent, she thought there was some symbolism to that as she made her way across the Plains. Suddenly, she felt a presence in the force, one she hadn't felt in a long time. She turned around to see the shimmering ghostly form of her master with a sad smile on his face. He wore Jedi robes similar to Obi-Wan's but other than that, he looked just like the last time she'd seen him on Mandalore.

" Hello Ahsoka " he said somewhat sheepishly

She had no idea what to say. A thousand emotions were boiling inside her.

" it's...good to see you Anakin "

Anakin suppressed a sad chuckle " Can't say I expected a warmer welcome, although that's more than I deserve...I have missed you Ahsoka "

" That...wasn't very obvious last time " she said with a slight frown, her arms folded across her chest for more than warmth.

" I guess That's because it wasn't obvious to me either " he replied, the sad smile still on his lips. " I can see you've already met my son "

Ahsoka gave him a small smile not devoid of kindness " yeah, I did. I have to say he is wonderful to say the least "

Anakin's smile widened as he literally beamed with pride. " He is. He has all of my good things, few as they are. "

" All of Padmé's as well " she said with a bittersweet smile.

" Yeah, I guess she never truely left them. They are both a lot like her "

" I met her you know, when she was little. From what Luke said, Bail did a great job with her. "

Pain radiated from Anakin clearly, although his face betrayed little of it. " He raised her like Padmé would've, I am grateful to him for that. Although she still got my temper somehow " he said somewhat wryly.

Ahsoka sensed his pain and and didn't have to guess it's cause, Luke'd told her about the death star " she will come around, just...give her time " she said, unsure about whether or not time was the only thing she needed as well.

Anakin shook his head slightly as his face gained a pained look " I don't think that will ever be enough Ahsoka. Luke was barely able to forgive me and my crimes still cause him pain, they probably will for a long time, too. I hurt her even more than I hurt him. "

" time heals Anakin, there is always hope " she said sympathetically.

" you're right...and hope is the one thing we can never afford to lose. So, I can only hope that you, too, will be able to forgive someday "

Her heart ached as he said so, but joy was there too in a small measure " why though? Why didn't you come with me that day? "

Anakin remained silent for a moment, as if trying to find the right words " Because I couldn't...not after everything I'd done. That was why I didn't go with Luke on Endor when he asked me to, I was too far gone to try and find my way back, all I could do was trick myself into believing I was doing what was for the greater good. Deep down, I wanted to join you that day but because I couldn't, I had to destroy anything that tied me to the past. I didn't deserve someone like you anymore "

" you didn't do that with Luke though " she said, on the verge of tears but controlling herself.

" That's because Luke was the last thing I had from her. You know...By Endor, I was actually afraid of Luke, Not because he was strong with the force or good with a lightsaber, but because the way he cared about me made me doubt all those dark facts Palpatine used to control me. It was probably the same I reason I was afraid of you when you made that offer. With Luke though, I thought that if I could make him see things my way, he would be my chance to start over, to set some things right for once. "

" he was your last chance to have a family " she said, as if suddenly seeing something that was there the whole time.

Anakin's lips curled into into a small smile " you know me too well, don't you?...I just wanted to say that I am proud of you Ahsoka, as much as I am proud of them. You've become a far greater Jedi than I ever was "

Ahsoka smiled for the first time and wiped a tear from her eye " I don't think I deserve to be called that anymore "

Anakin's smile widened " don't you give me that. Ahsoka, you had the courage to walk away from everything you ever knew just to find your way. When you lost everything, you didn't give up! You carried on helping people as much as you could, you joined the fight against the Palpatine since the beginning and on Malachor, you offered me your hand instead of your lightsaber. If that doesn't make you a jedi, I don't know what does "

Ahsoka had to resist the urge to blush, suddenly feeling like a padawan again" well, it was...only fair. After all, you didn't give up on me easily either "

Anakin folded his arm against his chest and gave her his trademark teasing smirk. " Alright, then. If you're planning on repaying that, I suggest you start by helping Luke. I think he needs all the Jedi help he can get.

Ahsoka gave him a bright smile, one she hadn't worn in a long time " I suppose I have to, then "

Anakin's smirk turned into a soft, proud smile " That's good to hear...Anyway, I'll see you around Snips. " and with a wink Anakin was no more.

Ahsoka's heart was suddenly full of warmth for the first time since what seemed like forever. Her back to the twin moons, Ahsoka made her way to the ' _Ghost_ '. Dawn was coming soon, and not just to Lothal.

 **The End ( for now )**

 **Author's note:**

 **Well, this is it guys! My very first writing project is finished at last. I just wanted to say thank you to anyone who read my story especially to those who took the time to share their thoughts. If you enjoyed this story or didn't, then please let me know why, you have no idea what reviews ( especially long detailed ones) mean to amateur writers like me.**

 **Now for my next writing project I have three ideas as this story mostly exists to set up my own ' Canon ':**

 **\- A short story focusing on Luke's mindset and training Post-esb. He matured a lot during those months and I wanted to explore that period as it's relatively untouched in Canon.**

 **\- A Story involving the new Republic and Grand Admiral Thrawn himself set 3 years after this one. If you feel like the plot point with Thrawn was abandoned now you know why.**

 **\- A time travel story that involves an ancient sith artifact. Won't be another time travel fix-it. Be warned.**

 **Let me know which one you would like to get first in the comments!**


	10. announcement

Hello, everyone! Thanks to your support, this story now has a sequel named " The Art of War."

It also has a prequel named " falling from the clouds " that is set between ESB and RoTJ.

Remember, reviews and feedback keep us going and make our days! both stories are available in my profile.


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